Obituary
Chattanooga Times Free Press
The Rev. Lee Hill, 92, the oldest living member of the Holston Conference of the United Methodist Church, passed away peacefully, surrounded by family, on Sunday, November 1, 2009.
He is survived by daughter, Mary Lee Hill (Ray) Hammond, of Chattanooga, TN; and son, Russell Allen (Myrna) Hill, of East Ridge, TN. He is also survived by six grandchildren, Scott Allen Hill, Tania LeRae Hammond Lester, Myra Lynn Hill Guffey, Tammy Marie Hammond Triplett, Kirby Lee Hill, Kristen Marie Hill; and seven great-grandchildren; Shannon, Kacie, Lauren, Cody, Rachel Anne, Samantha, and Kimberly; and one great-great-granddaughter, Nataly.
He was predeceased by his first wife of 34 years, Mary Helen Harris Hill, and his second wife of 30 years, Phyllis Nadine Smith Hill; and granddaughter, Pamela Dawn Hammond.
Lee grew up in the Holston Home for Children in Greeneville, TN. During his 45 year career as an active minister in the Holston Conference, Rev. Hill had 17 assignments serving 45 churches in Georgia, Tennessee and Virginia. As a minister, husband, brother, father, grandfather, great and great-great-grandfather he touched many lives and leaves a legacy that will endure for generations to come. A true gentle man. Our loss is the world's loss, except only a few of us know this because he sought no fame or recognition.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Holston United Methodist Home for Children, P.O. Box 188, Greeneville, TN 37744 or to First United Methodist Church, 101 East First North St., Morristown, TN 37814.
Funeral services honoring Rev. Lee Hill will be held Wednesday, November 4, 2009, 11:30 a.m. at First United Methodist Church in Morristown.
Visitation with family will begin Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. prior to the funeral service at the church.
Interment graveside services will follow at 2 p.m. at Hillcrest Cemetery in Dandridge, TN. Well done good and faithful servant.
Arrangements by Farrar Funeral Home, Dandridge, TN.
Lee Hill, 92, died on November 1, 2009, in Chattanooga, TN. Lee was born February 20, 1917; his mother died in 1918, and his father, unable to care for five children, took Lee and his three brothers and one sister to Holston Home for Children in Greeneville, TN. Lee attended Hiwassee College and Emory & Henry College and was a resident at Holston Home until after he graduated from Emory & Henry.
Rev. Lee Hill was known throughout Holston Conference for his wit and his way with words, and he was frequently chosen as Secretary of the District Preachers Meetings. An excellent example of his wit is his retirement speech at Annual Conference, June 16, 1983:
"Bishop Finger, Members of the Conference and Distinguished Guests, and My Fellow Flickering Flames of the Pulpit and our Esteemed Wives. They (my family) have come here today to inspect the launching pad from which their dad and granddad will be thrust into the orbit of retirement. And at the same time to learn all that they can about Coleman Heaters and parachutes. I wanted to say that I am a true son of Holston Conference, but it would be improper of me to make such an assessment. To put it more aptly, I will say that I am truly a son of Holston Conference. I have been in full connection with Holston Conference for 62 of the last 64 years. I began my connection with the conference by living in one of its institutions and continued this connection by being trained in two of the other institutions. Be it quickly said in my defense, and to the everlasting credit of the church, that the Holston Conference has never operated a penal institution. Having referred to residency in one of these institutions, the Holston Home for Children, on the day before Annual Conference 1938, I was harvesting corn and putting it in the shocks; and coming in from the cornfield with the grime and sweat running down my brow, and the sting of pack saddles on my arms, Uncle Mark Hardin, who was manager of the farm said to me, "Lee, you're going to Annual Conference tomorrow. It might be that there will not be a church available for you and I just wanted to say that if there isn't, you will be welcome to come back here and work on the farm." This unsolicited testimonial sent a charge of apprehension rushing through my system, which resulted in a reflex of my knees and I found myself in the posture of prayer, the essence of which was, "Oh Lord, if there is one small church, somewhere, ANYWHERE, within the bounds of this great conference, will you make it possible for the bishop and his cabinet to find it." When the Lord removed the scales from the eyes of the bishop, and the presiding elders, they were endowed with such clarity of vision that they found not one small church, but ten! Most powerful prayer I ever prayed. Having gotten off to such a good start, and having persevered for 45 years, I have served 62 churches. There are many, well I don't know how many, but a number of people in this conference who are members of churches I have served. (his time was up, but he continued): May I have one next to last word? (granted) As I stand at this vantage point, gazing into this Promised Land, I see it not as retirement, but rather I view it as Phyllis getting a new leash on my life."
At the time of his death, Lee was the oldest living member of the Holston Conference.
Lee was preceded in death by his first wife of 34 years, Mary Helen Harris Hill, his granddaughter, Pamela Dawn Hammond, and his second wife of 30 years, Phyllis Nadine Smith Hill.
He is survived by his daughter, Mary Lee (Ray) Hammond; son, Russell Allen (Myrna) Hill, Chattanooga, TN; grandchildren, Tania (Marty) Lester, Tammy (Rich) Triplett, northern Virginia; Scott Hill, Myra (Lamar) Guffey, Kirby (Jana) Hill, Trenton, GA; Krissie Hill, Chattanooga, TN; great grandchildren, Shannon (Will) Soto, Kacie Lester, Cody Lester, Lauren Hill, Samantha Hill, Rachel Ann Guffey, Kimberly Guffey; and, one great-great granddaughter, Nataly Soto.
A Celebration of Lee's Life was held at First United Methodist Church, Morristown, TN, on November 4, 2009, with Bishop Richard Looney, Dr. Darris Doyal, and Rev. Charles Starks officiating. Interment followed at Hillcrest Cemetery, Dandridge, TN.
Lee grew up in the Holston Home for Children in Greeneville, TN. During his 45-year career as an active minister in the Holston Conference, Rev. Hill had 17 assignments serving 62 churches in Virginia, Tennessee, and Georgia. As a minister, husband, brother, father, grandfather, great- and great-great-grandfather, he touched many lives and leaves a legacy that will endure for generations to come. A true gentle man. Our loss is the world's loss, except only a few of us know this because he sought no fame or recognition.
Well done, good (Godly) and faithful servant.
Submitted by his daughter, Mary Lee (Hill) Hammond – Holston Conference Journal – 2010 – Pages: 329 - 330
Obituary
Chattanooga Times Free Press
The Rev. Lee Hill, 92, the oldest living member of the Holston Conference of the United Methodist Church, passed away peacefully, surrounded by family, on Sunday, November 1, 2009.
He is survived by daughter, Mary Lee Hill (Ray) Hammond, of Chattanooga, TN; and son, Russell Allen (Myrna) Hill, of East Ridge, TN. He is also survived by six grandchildren, Scott Allen Hill, Tania LeRae Hammond Lester, Myra Lynn Hill Guffey, Tammy Marie Hammond Triplett, Kirby Lee Hill, Kristen Marie Hill; and seven great-grandchildren; Shannon, Kacie, Lauren, Cody, Rachel Anne, Samantha, and Kimberly; and one great-great-granddaughter, Nataly.
He was predeceased by his first wife of 34 years, Mary Helen Harris Hill, and his second wife of 30 years, Phyllis Nadine Smith Hill; and granddaughter, Pamela Dawn Hammond.
Lee grew up in the Holston Home for Children in Greeneville, TN. During his 45 year career as an active minister in the Holston Conference, Rev. Hill had 17 assignments serving 45 churches in Georgia, Tennessee and Virginia. As a minister, husband, brother, father, grandfather, great and great-great-grandfather he touched many lives and leaves a legacy that will endure for generations to come. A true gentle man. Our loss is the world's loss, except only a few of us know this because he sought no fame or recognition.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Holston United Methodist Home for Children, P.O. Box 188, Greeneville, TN 37744 or to First United Methodist Church, 101 East First North St., Morristown, TN 37814.
Funeral services honoring Rev. Lee Hill will be held Wednesday, November 4, 2009, 11:30 a.m. at First United Methodist Church in Morristown.
Visitation with family will begin Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. prior to the funeral service at the church.
Interment graveside services will follow at 2 p.m. at Hillcrest Cemetery in Dandridge, TN. Well done good and faithful servant.
Arrangements by Farrar Funeral Home, Dandridge, TN.
Lee Hill, 92, died on November 1, 2009, in Chattanooga, TN. Lee was born February 20, 1917; his mother died in 1918, and his father, unable to care for five children, took Lee and his three brothers and one sister to Holston Home for Children in Greeneville, TN. Lee attended Hiwassee College and Emory & Henry College and was a resident at Holston Home until after he graduated from Emory & Henry.
Rev. Lee Hill was known throughout Holston Conference for his wit and his way with words, and he was frequently chosen as Secretary of the District Preachers Meetings. An excellent example of his wit is his retirement speech at Annual Conference, June 16, 1983:
"Bishop Finger, Members of the Conference and Distinguished Guests, and My Fellow Flickering Flames of the Pulpit and our Esteemed Wives. They (my family) have come here today to inspect the launching pad from which their dad and granddad will be thrust into the orbit of retirement. And at the same time to learn all that they can about Coleman Heaters and parachutes. I wanted to say that I am a true son of Holston Conference, but it would be improper of me to make such an assessment. To put it more aptly, I will say that I am truly a son of Holston Conference. I have been in full connection with Holston Conference for 62 of the last 64 years. I began my connection with the conference by living in one of its institutions and continued this connection by being trained in two of the other institutions. Be it quickly said in my defense, and to the everlasting credit of the church, that the Holston Conference has never operated a penal institution. Having referred to residency in one of these institutions, the Holston Home for Children, on the day before Annual Conference 1938, I was harvesting corn and putting it in the shocks; and coming in from the cornfield with the grime and sweat running down my brow, and the sting of pack saddles on my arms, Uncle Mark Hardin, who was manager of the farm said to me, "Lee, you're going to Annual Conference tomorrow. It might be that there will not be a church available for you and I just wanted to say that if there isn't, you will be welcome to come back here and work on the farm." This unsolicited testimonial sent a charge of apprehension rushing through my system, which resulted in a reflex of my knees and I found myself in the posture of prayer, the essence of which was, "Oh Lord, if there is one small church, somewhere, ANYWHERE, within the bounds of this great conference, will you make it possible for the bishop and his cabinet to find it." When the Lord removed the scales from the eyes of the bishop, and the presiding elders, they were endowed with such clarity of vision that they found not one small church, but ten! Most powerful prayer I ever prayed. Having gotten off to such a good start, and having persevered for 45 years, I have served 62 churches. There are many, well I don't know how many, but a number of people in this conference who are members of churches I have served. (his time was up, but he continued): May I have one next to last word? (granted) As I stand at this vantage point, gazing into this Promised Land, I see it not as retirement, but rather I view it as Phyllis getting a new leash on my life."
At the time of his death, Lee was the oldest living member of the Holston Conference.
Lee was preceded in death by his first wife of 34 years, Mary Helen Harris Hill, his granddaughter, Pamela Dawn Hammond, and his second wife of 30 years, Phyllis Nadine Smith Hill.
He is survived by his daughter, Mary Lee (Ray) Hammond; son, Russell Allen (Myrna) Hill, Chattanooga, TN; grandchildren, Tania (Marty) Lester, Tammy (Rich) Triplett, northern Virginia; Scott Hill, Myra (Lamar) Guffey, Kirby (Jana) Hill, Trenton, GA; Krissie Hill, Chattanooga, TN; great grandchildren, Shannon (Will) Soto, Kacie Lester, Cody Lester, Lauren Hill, Samantha Hill, Rachel Ann Guffey, Kimberly Guffey; and, one great-great granddaughter, Nataly Soto.
A Celebration of Lee's Life was held at First United Methodist Church, Morristown, TN, on November 4, 2009, with Bishop Richard Looney, Dr. Darris Doyal, and Rev. Charles Starks officiating. Interment followed at Hillcrest Cemetery, Dandridge, TN.
Lee grew up in the Holston Home for Children in Greeneville, TN. During his 45-year career as an active minister in the Holston Conference, Rev. Hill had 17 assignments serving 62 churches in Virginia, Tennessee, and Georgia. As a minister, husband, brother, father, grandfather, great- and great-great-grandfather, he touched many lives and leaves a legacy that will endure for generations to come. A true gentle man. Our loss is the world's loss, except only a few of us know this because he sought no fame or recognition.
Well done, good (Godly) and faithful servant.
Submitted by his daughter, Mary Lee (Hill) Hammond – Holston Conference Journal – 2010 – Pages: 329 - 330
Family Members
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Oba Diah Hill
1906–1995
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Orvel Lee Hill Sr
1908–2002
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Cecil Beatrice Hill Holt
1911–1998
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Henry Hooper Hill
1914–1997
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Bertha E Hill Wilson
1883–1934
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Thomas Wesley Hill
1884–1973
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Nola Hill Seibers
1885–1972
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Cora Hill Loveday
1886–1967
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William Oliver Hill
1887–1974
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Minnie Mae Hill Hutson
1889–1971
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Edgar M Hill
1889–1906
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Martha J "Jennie" Hill Hickson
1891–1968
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Samuel Whitson "Sam" Kesterson
1894–1962
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Ethel Frona Kesterson Hill
1897–1954
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